Have you ever wondered how clubs got their names? Here are the stories behind the names of top European clubs.
Füchse Berlin
Part of Reinickendorfer Füchse, the club rebranded to Füchse Berlin in 2005. The nickname Füchse (Foxes) was kept and was originally chosen by the club as their mascot, symbolizing their desire to play with smartness and pace.
One Veszprém
The giant of Hungarian handball got their current name after One Hungary stepped in as the main sponsor in 2015.
OTP Bank-Pick Szeged
Just like their biggest rivals, Pick Szeged’s name is heavily influenced by sponsors, with OTP Bank and the food company Pick.
GOG Håndbold
Originally founded in 1973 in the small Danish city of Gudme, GOG got their current name after a merger with Oure and Gudbjerg, forming GOG, or the full name Gudme Oure Gudbjerg.
Industria Kielce
The giants located in the south of Poland are another example of a sponsor-driven name, with the industrial group Industria.
Orlen Wisła Płock
Originally Wisła Płock, the club added Orlen after the oil company became the main sponsor. Wisła, Poland’s biggest and most well-known river, runs just past the city of Płock and was therefore chosen when the club was founded. Fun fact: Płock is not the only sports club to use Wisła in its name, with Wisła Kraków also using the river.
CS Dinamo București
Founded in 1948, the Romanian giants took the name Dinamo, which comes from the Greek word dynamis, meaning power or energy. The name was common in Eastern Europe, for example Dinamo Moscow and Dinamo Kiev, and symbolized a strong connection to state institutions, representing strength, discipline, and athletic excellence.
Eurofarm Pelister
The medical company Eurofarm was added to the name after they became the main sponsor of the club from North Macedonia. Located in the city of Bitola, the name Pelister was taken from the mountain that overlooks the city.
Team Esbjerg
Founded in 1991, the club chose the name after a merger between KVIK Esbjerg and Esbjerg Håndboldklub, with the name meant to represent the club’s unity.
Brest Bretagne Handball
The French club renamed itself as recently as 2014, choosing a combination of the city name and the local region.
Győri Audi ETO KC
With Audi being the main sponsor, ETO represents the original club name, created as early as 1907. The name stands for Erőssport és Testnevelési Osztály, which in English translates to Department of Elite Sports and Physical Education. This shows that the club originally was a multisport club, before becoming a dominant force in women’s handball.
CSM București
Founded in 2007 by the General Council of Bucharest in an attempt to promote handball among the capital’s youth, the name CSM stands for Clubul Sportiv Municipal, indicating that it is a public sports club.
RK Krim Mercator
Another combination of local geography and sponsorship, with the mountain Krim located just by the team’s city, Ljubljana, and Mercator being the main sponsor.
Budućnost Podgorica
Budućnost, meaning future in English, was chosen to represent the club’s ambition and belief in future success.
Podravka Vegeta
Another geographic/sponsor combination, but with a twist. Podravka comes from the name of the region, Podravina, where the team and city of Koprivnica are located. It is also the name of the main sponsor’s food company, Podravka, with Vegeta being the company’s signature and best-selling spice mix.
SG Flensburg-Handewitt
With SG standing for Spielgemeinschaft, meaning something like merged teams, the name was chosen in 1990 after the merger between TSB Flensburg and Handewitter SV.
Rhein-Neckar Löwen
A geographic name, with Rhein-Neckar being the region between the rivers Rhine and Neckar. Löwen, which means lions, is the mascot and nickname of the club, symbolizing strength.
THW Kiel
Formed in 1948, THW stands for Turnverein Hassee-Winterbek, originally two smaller sports teams that decided to merge to create a strong organization in Kiel.
MT Melsungen
Originally a gymnastics club, which explains MT, standing for Melsunger Turngemeinde (Melsungen Gymnastics Club). Handball was added later and became the main sport of the club.
TSV Hannover-Burgdorf
Originally a multisport club, with TSV standing for Turn- und Sportverein (Gymnastics and Sports Club). Handball was added in the same fashion and later became the main focus of the club.